Recent industry reports detail how data volumes are growing rapidly, with annual increases up to 40%. Data volumes of Facebook are by themselves estimated to be as big as the entire World Wide Web was in 2004.

Exploiting this data - extracting actionable meaning out of the mass of unorganised and often volatile material in many languages, analysing, using and re-using it- could transform the Web and the way we handle information once and for all. It could facilitate our lives through innovative ICT applications, lead to better support for decision-making and planning, give research in different domains a major boost, and improve interaction between online, social and enterprise usages. In this scenario, the ability to draw knowledge out of data would change the Internet in a way similar to the changes brought about by the ‘search’ and ‘social media’ revolutions in recent years.

The proposed workshop will explore the potential of data, some of the most promising economic and business aspects involved, and discuss how policy for data and our investment in R&D can better address the challenges of businesses and the public sector and further support innovative business development.

Join the discussion, provide your comments, and feel free to launch new themes that you feel should be discussed at the Assembly.

Moderator: Marc Garriga